Scouting Toledo: Top Performers
We went to Toledo last week for a three-game slate, seeing six programs who have consistently produced college prospects over the last 20-plus years.
Tuesday, we began at Toledo Central Catholic for their game against Whitmer. Thursday, a match of 9-0 teams in the Northern Lakes League, Southview at Perrysburg. Then, finally, a Friday rivalry game between Toledo St. Francis and Toledo St. John’s.
We saw a few underclassmen for the first time and, also, drew new observations on kids we’ve tracked throughout their careers. In this first Scouting Toledo recap, we’re focused on the very best performances. Soon, there will be underclassmen and upperclassmen observations on the site, too.
Before we cover the players, you’ll notice an italicized game description of each game. Those are meant to provide context. Every game isn’t created equal. It’s important to understand the context, in order to fully understand the individual contributions.
Whitmer (38) at Toledo Central Catholic (57)
Central did pretty much whatever they wanted offensively. Very efficient performance from the Irish. Whitmer was missing 6-foot-7 freshman center Ja’Vaughn Jones. Their lack of size on the interior was capitalized on by Central.
Jonzell Norrils (2020) | 6-0 PG | Toledo Central Catholic
stats: 5 points, 2 rebounds, 5 assists
Norrils got the ball to where it needed to be. Keeping his head up in transition and while penetrating in the halfcourt, he simply found the open man consistently. Creates high-percentage looks for himself and others. Thrives playing at full-speed and in a congested key surrounded by bodies. Norrils relieved teammates when they were stuck in a trap by flying to the ball for the pass — true point guard. Occasionally denied ball on defense. Akron football commit.
Kendal Marshall (2020) | 6-3 SF | Toledo Central Catholic
stats: 20 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists
Marshall caught fire as a scorer. The big-bodied wing made a trio of 3-point shots and finished creatively inside. The football prospect — Marshall possesses offers from Madonna, Lawrence Tech, Valpo, and Lake Erie amongst others — moves extremely well for his size. Defensively, he can defend multiple positions. Very good at showing and recovering against the pick-and-roll. His versatility allows Central to play small. Flashed ability to thread the needle as a passer.
Southview (55) at Perrysburg (76)
Both teams attempted to play crisp halfcourt offense while running when the opportunity arose. It’s just that one team, Perrysburg, was much more mistake-free and physical while doing so. Both teams were undefeated coming in. Perrysburg’s senior-laden roster, though, illustrated the value of experience and raw strength.
Zach Miller (2020) | 6-1 G | Perrysburg
stats: 9 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals
Miller operates with maturity. A physically-built combo guard with defensive versatility, Miller made plays on the drive and affected the game in a number of ways. His strength is a mismatch on the perimeter — allowing him to get to the basket, make ball-handlers uncomfortable with pressure, and rebound. Made steals in passing lanes. Good reads on both ends of the floor. Several drop-down assists to his forwards. Miller also sold a cut to perfection, leading to a backdoor layup in one of their sets.
Jackson Sizemore
Jackson
Sizemore
6'8" | C
Perrysburg | 2020
State
OH
(2020) | 6-8 C | Perrysburg
stats: 21 points, 4 rebounds
Our favorite version of Sizemore, by far, is when he’s chirping with opponents. When the 6-foot-8 senior is playing with confidence, he has an edge about him. Combined with his size and touch, a riled-up Sizemore often dominates games single-handily. Thursday was one of those nights. (Although his teammates deserve a ton of credit, too. Point is, Sizemore was feeling it.)
Time and again, the unsigned senior got great position around the rim for easy scores. He showed touch from a number of angles, including laying up a lobbed post entry backwards in alley-oop fashion. Defensively, he contested shots all over the floor. Active, high hands. Quick block-to-block and block-to-elbow.
Drew Paule
Drew
Paule
5'11" | PG
Perrysburg | 2020
State
OH
(2020) | 5-11 PG | Perrysburg
stats: 10 points, 5 rebounds, several assists
Paule has a European game. His pace is unusual, yet extremely effective in freezing defenders. Paule constantly darts past initial defenders with his side-to-side crossovers. Zips accurate and timely passes with either hand while on the move. Makes open shots despite being a pass-first guard.
Sean Millington
Sean
Millington
6'2" | SG
Southview | 2022
OH
(2022) | 6-2 G | Southview
stats: 17 points, 1 rebound
Millington was the discovery of the weekend. The big combo guard is one of the top five sophomores we’ve seen in the Toledo area.
The lefty is a rhythm scorer on the wing. Made shots from all three levels of the floor. His catch-and-shoot was money — and it’s pretty obvious he’s a plus shooter. From the mid-range, Millington smartly pulled up in the soft spot against Perrysburg’s aggressive 2-3 zone. Again, consistently hitting. Then on the inside, he converted a few athletic finishes against shot-blockers. Smart reads away from the ball.
Toledo St. Francis (45) at Toledo St. John’s (60)
High-energy environment. Halfcourt game with occasional fastbreaks off turnovers. St. John’s executed and consistently made 3-pointers, proving to be the difference in the game.
Gary Batch (2020) | 6-3 PF | Toledo St. John’s
stats: 17 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists
Batch — a football recruit with offers from Youngstown State, Urbana, and Valpo — beats prodding bigs with quickness and activity. Effectively rips through for one- or two-dribble slashes when he receives a pass on the elbow. Makes timely cuts when his matchup loses sight of him. If Batch catches an opponent (even slightly) out-of-position, he always darts past for a quick at-rim finish. Active rebounder who tracks the ball down outside of his area.
Brady Lichtenberg (2021) | 6-2 PG | Toledo St. John’s
stats: 6 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists
Lichtenberg, a Cincinnati football commit, was locked in on both ends of the floor. Played tight on-ball defense at the point of attack. Made plays on offense, mainly in the two-man game with Batch. He cleverly set-up teammates with shots by pulling a second defender away and darting a pass to the open man. Lichtenberg’s adjustment from wing scorer to primary ball-handler this season has been very impressive.
Left the game in the third quarter with an apparent knee injury, the severity of which is unknown.